L.A. Film Festival review: 'Goodbye World'

In the indie take on the end of civilization "Goodbye World," cyber-millionaires and hippies face the apocalypse. Comedy, romantic conflict and some intimations of lawlessness and grassroots repression all jockey for attention in Denis Hennelly's film. And while effective moments of each play out, for the most part these conflicting elements prevent the film from achieving a consistent tone and narrative focus.

Of all the final days movies we're being hit with this summer, this one seems the least urgent -- and that includes "This Is the End."

A bunch of old college friends hunker down in their software mogul buddy's Northern California cabin when a toxic e-mail brings down the nation's infrastructure. They play games, hook up, betray one another, resurrect old resentments and -- like everyone in every other indie at the moment -- get high. Bikers and power-drunk National Guardsmen provide outside menace.

There's intelligence in Hennelly and Sarah Adina Smith's script, and the cast (which includes Adrian Grenier, Ben McKenzie and Gaby Hoffmann) is mostly right on.

How the group should behave during the crisis and what kind of world they want in its wake are discussed, but it rarely really feels like something all that life-affecting is happening. Maybe next time -- and considering how big on wrecking the world filmmakers are at the moment, we can rest assured that there will be a next time.

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